The Good News

The following is a letter written by Slanted Fish, editor-in-chief of this Poptropica Help Blog. PHB staff and readers are invited, but not required, to embrace the beliefs shared here. This letter does not intend to offend or attack in any way. Instead, its goal is to offer a hope-filled, love-inspiring perspective on life that Poptropicans can relate to and consider for themselves.

Dear Poptropican friends,

I love Poptropica. It’s a remarkable game world full of witty characters and beautiful scenery and so much more. Its fandom is full of amazing people who share a passion for this game, inspiring others through things like writing fan blogs or creating fan art. Personally, my life was made better with Poptropica, and since you’re here, perhaps that’s been your experience too.

You can see why it would be difficult not to share about something that has impacted my life in such a positive way. Which is why I feel that I should share about something even bigger that has, and continues to, transform my life in the most powerful way. Poptropica can offer a small glimpse into it, and that’s what I’ll try to make it do for you in this letter, but it’s so much more than what I can cover here.

That big something, friends, is the good news of Jesus Christ. It’s best summarized in the following famous sentence from a famous book called the Bible:

This is the core of the Christian gospel—a word meaning good news.

Before you balk, I know—the idea of mixing religion and a Poptropica blog together is an odd one, but I believe the risk is worth taking. If I haven’t lost you yet, let’s keep going. It might just change your life, or at the very least, make you a little more aware of something that’s been a big deal in our world for over 2000 years.

The readership of this blog is a diverse group, and we all come from different life backgrounds. But whether you’ve heard the biblical stories your whole life or this is your first time exploring any religious topic, perhaps a Poptropica-based perspective can spin a new light on the old tale.

What does this “Good News” have to do with Poptropica?

Think of it this way: the Good News of the gospel concerns the world. “For God so loved the world…” This invitation is for the world. As for Poptropica, it tells stories about the world. Our complex, beautiful, and broken world.

It’s true, we live in an impressive world. From the vast depths of the ocean teeming with life to the miniscule DNA sequences creating every part of every living being, the sheer complexity and beauty of our earth (and even beyond into space) is simply amazing.

In Poptropica, you get a taste of that wonder when you bounce your way through the jungle of Twisted Thicket or poke around the inner body of a fellow human on Virus Hunter. And while Poptropica has its Creators who invented these virtual worlds, perhaps it’s not so far-fetched to infer that a designer put together our incredible real world, too.

The stories in Poptropica are mostly fiction, of course, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t elements of truth to be found. Take the main idea of your typical Poptropica island: there’s a problem, and over the course of the island quest, you solve it.

Again, you don’t need to be religious to see how Poptropica’s stories reflect our reality of a broken world, and make clear distinctions of what is good and evil. Ironically, good fiction can be an effective tool for showing truth in a fresh, indirect perspective.

Poptropica does this well, often with humor, like when a grown man in a pink bunny suit steals an entire town’s carrot supply and tries to mind-control the world (24 Carrot). But other times, the stories are more believable and a little dark, like when a successful young man betrays his best friend over a lady (Ghost Story), or when a crazed hunter decides that hunting animals isn’t enough anymore and you become his next target (Survival).

In Poptropica, and in the world, the logical next step to being presented with problems is to try to fix them. And, Poptropica being a game, the path is already written out for you to execute. But real life is not so simple.

In fact, even accepting the Good News isn’t going to make every problem go away right away. God doesn’t work like that. However, what it (and the rest of the Bible) does do is equip you to be stronger in facing and fighting issues of justice (2 Timothy 3:14-17), and to bring hope of a world to come that will erase every injustice… forever (2 Peter 3:11-13). Doesn’t that sound like a worthwhile cause?

What exactly is the Bible’s story, and why should I believe it?

The Bible is a complex book which is really made up of 66 “books” of varying literary styles, contexts, and authors. Put them together, and they tell one grand narrative about God and his people—which you’re invited to join.

The video below provides a 5-minute summary of the big story:

For more informative and well-animated videos like these, check out The Bible Project.

At the heart of it, this story is offering the best news you could possibly hear, in light of the reality we all face: a beautifully complex world that’s often messed up.

As for whether you should find it true… well, there are many other alternative worldviews out there, and this would go on for far too long if I were to address each one. Suffice it to say, every worldview believes they have it right, and that the others are inadequate in some way. In that regard, I admit that I too am making such a truth claim. However, we can’t all be right. The truth is out there, and regardless of what you believe, you must find good reasons for what you believe and how that impacts your life.

What does this story mean for us?

In Poptropica, you are the hero: you’re the one going around saving the citizens of every island, every time. You already recognize the need for justice, but where does this come from? How did we get a supernatural idea that there was injustice, if not for a supernatural standard to measure by?

Moreover, why would we take the time to help anyone but ourselves? This story tells us that every human life is made in the image of a Creator God (Genesis 1:26-27) and therefore ascribed dignity, which makes serving others highly worthwhile.

In God’s story, however, we’re just as prone to mess up as the rest of the citizens on the island. We may not be stealing an entire town’s worth of carrots like Dr. Hare, but we’ve all done things that hurt someone else’s metaphorical carrots. We put our needs above everyone else’s, we lose our temper, we’ve envied others… the list goes on.

We could all do with a savior and a role model for what it means to be the best kind of human, even as we constantly fall short. Our own brokenness may be an uncomfortable thought, but as the Good News tells us, we can be forgiven – if we dare accept such an invaluable gift, freely offered to all, through Jesus’ own sacrifice (Hebrews 10:10).

I’m only scratching the surface of theology with this letter, but if you do get to that point, be sure to let God know. He’ll celebrate with you (Luke 15:7). And he’ll even take care of you (Matthew 6:25-34).

No matter what your beliefs are today, thank you, truly, for reading this letter. Thank you for being curious about the world through Poptropica and beyond.

In the end, it is up to you to decide what your heart will follow. The world is full of things to follow, and as long as you’re alive, you will be following something.

It is my hope that you will come to know the only person who can model for you a perfect example for what it means to be human. Knowing Jesus is a lifelong journey. Come discover the source of enduring hope in this life, and everlasting joy in the life to come.

Best wishes,Slanted Fish

P.S. Thoughtful, non-hostile questions and comments are welcome. While I do not claim to have all the answers, I invite you to explore this revolutionary story further. If you want, you may also reach me privately on the PHC Discord server.

I had a fun time reading this message, all about love and forgiveness. I hope for everyone who reads this will consider believing in Jesus. If not, then I respect you for having your own opinion.
Well, besides that, I have nothing else to add, since Fishy said it all above.

Thanks, Shaggy! 😀 I agree – the Bible Project videos are really good for helping people understand a complicated text, whether you’re a believer or not, and I’m happy to pass them along. And hopefully the Poptropica metaphors help with understanding, too. 😛

As a Christ follower myself this really gave me hope that I have someone to relate to as I feel when going on discord I am the only with christian beliefs, but it’s nice to know I’m not the only one. I really enjoyed this post and it makes me think of Poptropica differently in an amazing way. I’m glad there are still people in this who do good things like this that may bring someone to Christ. Thank you.

I’m not sure what you mean by us Christians feeling bad for ourselves, Tall Cactus. We only try to help and care for people who don’t understand what we do, and so we try to help in any way we can. Would you be comfortable in explaining to me why you are an atheist?

I’m making an apology here because I said something wrong in response to TC. She has her right to voice her opinion and my comment was insensitive. It was wrong and I made a mistake. I am sorry.There were many other ways I could’ve politely disagreed, without saying it harshly.

In my opinion this is out of order and inappropriate. Poptropica is a game aimed at 6-15 year olds. Six year olds. The fact you see no issue with twisting and manipulating a children’s game for the advancement of your own ideology is so very very concerning. You can say “no one’s stopping you from walking away” but this is aimed at children under 11, and I think it’s unethical to advertise your ideology to them by equating it to a game. It’s not your place. I’m rambling but I cannot get over that people would think this is acceptable. My political nor religious views do not matter, I’d think this was inappropriate no matter what they were because you are presenting with such bias. Oversimplifying, cherry picking and not giving easily influenced children the big picture such as the many tradgedies caused by widespread power of the church, how a huge amount of “messed up” things in the world have been caused by religion (countless wars, abuse within religious organisations, homophobia, hate crimes, murders, vigilanteism etc.), extremely strong evidence for scientific theories (background radiation and the big bang or evolution and fossil records), the nuance of Christian belief (What would the scripture say about women or slaves or members of the LGBT community?)

I find this post, and the fact it is advertised on your site on numerous pages extremely distressing. I doubt this comment will even be allowed to stay up and there are things I haven’t said explicitly because I don’t think it would be appropriate to say on a blog about a children’s game.

Molly, I appreciate your concerns. However, I’d like to put some of those fears to rest.

First, any child who can read this, regardless of age, can see that I leave the choice up to the individual. I did emphasize that this is just one of many worldviews, albeit one I find worthwhile, hence the existence of this letter.

The reason I use Poptropica is because this is a Poptropica blog, and so this is something the readers can relate to. I could have talked about this without the Poptropica parts, but it wouldn’t seem quite as relevant. Notice, also, I have not said anything about the game’s elements that were not true. They do tell stories about our world.

I do believe that – given freedom of speech, this being my site, and my personal convictions – it is within my right to post this. Of course I could analyze the entire history of religion, but it would go on for far too long. This is an overview, not an encyclopedia. More specific concerns can be discussed in the comments, as we are doing now.

By highlighting the “messed up” things that have been done in the name of religion – which, by the way, I have not condoned – it seems you’re the one cherry-picking. However, this letter’s message is Christ, not flawed Christians. And Christians are quite varied in their beliefs. You are right to recognize nuances, which I’ll discuss below, but the letter focuses on the common ground Christians side with: that Christ died, resurrected, will return someday — and that that story inspires us to move from death to life in all manners.

I believe science and faith are very much compatible, and God reveals himself in both. You may recall that I talk about the amazing design of our world in the letter. Any supposed discrepancy between the two is an error in one’s own interpretation of either scientific discovery or faith.

I believe Scripture affirms women as equal to everyone else. Many churches do ordain women in ministry. And women play important roles throughout Scripture – one notable example is that women were the first to discover Jesus’s empty tomb, and this was in the first century when women were considered by society to be unreliable witnesses. Remarkably, Jesus had no problem allowing them to be the ones to spread the news of his resurrection.

I believe Scripture is against exploitation, which includes slavery as we think of it. After all, one of the biggest stories in the Bible is about how God rescued the people of Israel out of slavery. Also, I say “slavery as we think of it” because you will find mention of slaves in the Bible, but this was part of ancient culture; however, the law was kind to them, not exploitative (one example is in Exodus 21:16). It would definitely be against something abusive like the Atlantic slave trade.

I believe Scripture does not comment on LGBTs, as this was not even a recognized issue at the time of its writing. Any claim of such, I would say, is a misinterpretation. Actually, the PHB (this blog) even hosted a party celebrating LGBTs a while back. Interestingly, no one used that event to disavow using Poptropica to advance an ideology.

It is true, however, that you may find Christians who say otherwise on these issues, whether past or present. But again: the message is Christ. And I think the more you look with an open mind at how Christ asks us to live, the more you’ll find it’s a gospel of peace.

Well, I’m a Christian, and I’ve been using your blog for help on Poptropica for a couple years now. When I saw this letter, I was happily surprised to hear that you are a Christian, and agreed with everything you had written—that was, until I read this comment. The Bible does emphatically comment on homosexuality, and I’m heartbroken that so many “Christians” are accepting what the Bible clearly states to be a sin. If no one will stand up and speak against this, I will, because I for one, will not be silent on an issue of morality and the living Word of God.

Leviticus 18:22 : Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable

Romans 1:26-27 : They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served things rather than the creator—who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.

I really don’t understand why Christians are not speaking up about this anymore, whether it be out of fear of the opinions of others, or a lack of understanding, but the Bible does gives answer to these things, if we are willing to hear them. Our world is full of bitter truths, and, bitter or not, truth is still truth, no matter where we are in our lives, or what we want to believe.

Yes, God is love, God is patient, kind, forgiving, and so merciful—but above all, God is holy and righteous. He will not tolerate sin, no matter how well-dressed or sugar-coated it may be.

I hope this sheds a little light on some of this. Thank you for your time, I will keep you in my prayers.

Hey Quiet Bird, I appreciate you taking the time to comment. I’m well aware of the Bible’s commentary on homosexuality (which I would call limited, not emphatic), but my own studies of theology, history, and reality have led me to a different conclusion than yours. Since you bring it up, I want to point out a few things I think are worth considering when we try to interpret the Bible’s stance:

1) In biblical times, there was not the concept of LGBT as we have today. People did not “come out,” let alone look for a loving relationship with committed same-sex partners. Such Bible passages, therefore, seem to be about same-sex acts between heterosexual people – and yes, in sinful contexts.

2) There are committed Christians out there who did not choose to be LGBT, whose orientations cannot be changed because that’s simply a part of who they are, no matter how much they have prayed for otherwise. They, too, may have the desire to be with someone who loves them – why shouldn’t they? God does not make mistakes, so why has he made some people this way? God also typically has good reason for the commands he gives in Scripture. Is there one for this topic beyond “the book (supposedly) says so”?

3) There are less than ten passages in the Bible that refer to homosexual behavior – compared to more than 250 verses about wealth and 300 verses about caring for the least of these. You can see it’s hardly a major theme.

I invite you to check out an analysis like this one which presents a case for an honest Scriptural interpretation on the issue. Remember that the Bible is a complex collection of books that is often more than what it may appear at literal face value: there are contexts of history, culture, literary genre, and so forth to consider when we read each of its books. As just one example, much of Leviticus is no longer considered law for today’s Christians because of an event in Acts 10.

I realize that this is a complicated and divisive issue, and regardless of beliefs, I hope that we can still respect each other, as well as our LGBT neighbors. God is indeed love and righteousness, and that is what he wants for all of us, regardless of our interpretations.

I personally think it’s great that Slanted Fish is standing up for her beliefs, especially about a topic like this (which is so difficult to talk about). Besides, it’s a choice to come here and a choice to accept the Lord Jesus Christ. No one’s forcing anyone here.

And besides, LGBT people get to stand up for their beliefs and they’re considered bold for doing that. But when us Christians stand up for our beliefs, we’re considered mean people.
I have LGBT friends. Yes, I don’t approve of what they do and even tell them that. But do I bash on them and end my friendship with them? No, I don’t.

Like what Jesus would do, hate the sin but love the sinner. He gave them the choice to choose what they wanted, He never forced anyone. God respects the choice of our actions but reminds us that they have consequences, good or bad. Slanted Fish and others chose to share how Jesus died for us to save our sin because He loves us and I chose to accept Him as my Savior.

I pray that they do accept Jesus one day. But the choice is still totally up to the children who read this.

I absolutely love seeing (friendly, factual, and no hate) debates like this. Personally I agree with Happygrape326. Though I do not believe the Bible condones LGBTQ+ relationships/orientations, I do believe (as Slanted Fish says) that we should care for the least of these and to love thy neighbor. In no circumstance will I ever hate, look down upon, or treat someone differently because of a LGBTQ+ orientation. I may not condone their actions but I will love them unconditionally. To quote Happygrape326, ” Do what Jesus would do, hate the sin but love the sinner.” I pray that someday they will see God’s love for them, but the choice is theirs and not ours- which is exactly how it should be.

Slanted Fish, I just want to complement you on stating you beliefs in such a friendly manner. This is not an easy thing to do, especially in todays world. I am always so happy to see ( as stated above) friendly, factual, and no hate debates, discussions different beliefs and viewpoints.As an older teen I still find Poptropica just as fun as I did when I was 12, and your blog is such a fun part of being in the Poptropica family. Thank you for all you do,

:I WHAT R U ALL TALKIN ABOUT! I A CHRISTIAN OK, I THINK THAT WHAT SLANTED FISH SAYS IS FINE ‘CAUSE THERE ARE MANY CHRISTIAN BRANCHES. As long as you believe in the bible, everything is fine. Please, I’m a tomboy. (A GIRL THAT LIKES BOY THINGS) and I am interested in these sort of things. Please, just let Slanted Fish say what she believes as, believe it or not, different Christians believe different things (e.g. something Mary is the powerful one, some think god.) But they’re still Christians.
Thank you if you’re reading this.

But did you read what Quiet Bird quoted from Romans 1:26-27? Quiet Bird, i have read that passage too and thank you and our Lord God for putting this on this blog.

God created men and women FOR EACH OTHER. (I put that in caps not because I’m angry but because i need you to see it). In the Garden of Eden, God didn’t create 2 men and 2 women for women to be attracted to women and men to be attracted to men. That was never the plan. Adam and Eve were deeply attracted to each other. They loved each other.

Romans 1:26-27 does state clearly that “Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.”

They turned away from God. And yes, God created all of us for a yearning to be loved and to love someone. God loves us deeply and most Christians love Him deeply as well.

God is love and holy. He can’t have, unholy things. and as Romans 1:26-27 clearly shows, homosexuality and lesbian feelings are sin.

And if you’re a Christian on here who has accepted Christ into your heart and is living for Him (or trying your hardest i guess), and you feel lesbian or gay or bisexual or queer…..God loves you deeply. After all He sent His Son to die for you. Have you ever thought about dying for someone you deeply loved or cared about? Jesus did that for you. And if you’re confused about those LGBQ feelings….turn to God. He can help with the confusion. Just pray and seek Him in His Word and everywhere. Ask Him to guide you. And He will. Because its happened it my life to when i was once confused.

I’m praying for all of y’all. And btw, just because i don’t approve of LGBT people, does NOT mean that i wouldn’t show them Christ’s love or treat them with respect.

@Kate: Romans was written long before society made a distinction between same-sex feelings and actions, and the text itself says that these were “unnatural” relations. To a same-sex attracted person today, those feelings are the most natural feelings in the world. And many have tried desperately to “pray the gay away,” but there is enough anecdotal evidence that shows this does not work. I commend your commitment to love, but it’s important to manifest that love from understanding.

Yes, but I must ask, Molly: How many six-year-olds do you really think see this post or even follow this blog? I know for a fact that you are not. Most people on here are probably 13-15, not that it matters what age one would see this as.

I agree. Some 6-year-olds don’t know what GENDER is. But I think that there should be 3 sections. Under 7s, Under 11s and 13+. You could talk about this in the Under 11s and 13+.
Thanks for reading,
Blue 🙂

i can tell you BLANKI BLUE is definitely catholic are you not? if you know the Bible or the Christmas story, when does it ever say Mary is the powerful one or a god? GOD, Yahweh, Jesus is the powerful one. He chose Mary because she’s His daughter. She’s not a God but He did chose her to be His Son’s earthly mother

Thank you, thank you, thank you so much for sharing this!
I bet it wasn’t easy. But it’s truly amazing that you took the risk for Jesus and shared what He has done and that He died for us to save us from sin.

I’ve been playing Poptropica my whole life and it couldn’t get any better. But praise God for y’all! Seeing you guys share God’s Word is not only powerful, but is also a blessing.
Keep fighting the good fight and God bless you guys ^_^

‘Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.

What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?
If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.’

Thanks to you too for sharing! It definitely took a lot of thought to figure out whether to write this at all, and then to figure out how best to share this message here, but I believe it’s important enough. God bless you too. 🙂

Was it really necessary to post about Christianity here? No harm intended- I’ve always been a big supporter of this website, but I honestly can’t see any connection between a kid’s game and religion, especially when it’s aimed towards children. I understand some Christians may wish to spread the gospel (believe me, my parents are Christian), but people do have different beliefs, and you have to respect that. There’s this sentence in the last paragraph: ‘The only person who can model for you a perfect example to being human..(paraphrasing)’ Are you sure that stands true for most people?
I admire your courage on posting this, but I must admit I’m slightly disappointed.

Hey, thanks for taking the time to comment. I’d like to reaffirm that even though I am sharing a particular view, I do respect each person’s right to believe as they choose (and I emphasize this especially in the closing). I make the connections between the game and the faith because of the nature of this blog and its readership of Poptropica fans. I believe this is important enough to share, but I do want to establish that it is only meaningful for each individual should they make the personal choice to follow Christ — and it’s not something anyone else should force.

Regarding the part you’ve quoted, I contend that it is true to human experience. Can you name any other human who has lived on this earth who stands faultless in every way? There are certainly other role models, but as humans, we all struggle with one thing or another (anger, impatience, selfishness, to name just a few). Perhaps it takes something beyond human capacity to overcome such brokenness.

You are, of course, entitled to your own beliefs. But this is just an invitation to explore another story, one that hopefully will not leave you disappointed.

I was sad to see the negative comments on this, I’m a Christian also and this is very well written. I love that you shared your opinion and viewpoint even though it may seem likely a touchy subject. Great job!

I hope that those who feel negatively about this attempt to share something positive will at least re-examine their own positions, not just about faith but also the motives of their repulsion. Thanks also for your support. 🙂

Hey i’m glad i found this. I am a follower of Jesus Christ myself and i found hope in his name. The only satisfaction ever. The only peace and joy that you cannot find anywhere else. You can trade treasure for Eternity or you can try and find treasure now, but it will NOT be worth it. JESUS CHRIST is the only way. His love is too real.

I myself am a Jehovah’s Witness (a branch of Christianity) and I find it interesting that you posted this as many Christians don’t share their beliefs openly like you have here so that is to an extent to be commended

Thanks. I believe Christians are called to be witnesses to their faith through their lives, though that can take many forms—it doesn’t have to be an explicit letter like this one, but the goal (a lifelong struggle of a goal, really) is to be Christ-like for the world.

Well actually there isn’t a hell that you suffer in (hell is the grave) and only 144,000 anointed humans will make it to heaven every other good human will be resurrected to live forever in paradise on earth that’s basically the short of it and if you were never exposed to the witnesses even if you were wicked you get a chance to be resurrected and learn about it and if you’re “wicked” you’re basically someone who knew about the witnesses and turned away or sinned awfully or something ex. Michael Jackson would not be resurrected because he grew up as a witness and later in his life he disassociated from them and as far as I know sacagewea never knew anyone associated with this strand of Christianity so she would be resurrected
So if you die you don’t go to heaven (unless you’re anointed) as said in Psalms 146:3,4 once a man dies his thoughts do perish and there are several instances where Jesus compared death to a sleep and basically what we consider a sin is what most other branches of Christianity consider a sin, we don’t have sabbath(Jesus fulfilled the law), we do dress modestly (dress/skirt at church or suit depending on gender and nothing too tight or revealing) we don’t have Sunday school, we do tell brothers and sisters to stay virgins until marriage, tattoos and dying your hair unnatural colors can all be accepted based on your culture, oh and going to every twice weekly meeting and going in service as often as you can is very important, also we don’t believe in the trinity

thanks so much for sharing the love of Jesus our Lord and Christ dont listen to people who are disrespecting God they are just jerks who dont understand. I love Jesus and I never thought that the sheep was a post so I am glad I clicked it!!! woohoo!! thank you for sharing the love of Christ with everyone! Jesus is the way and the truth in life ( I have never made such a big comment before) thank you for making me free to speak about the love of Christ! ; )